After our time in Vilnius, we hopped on a train and headed north to Riga, Latvia. We only spent a few days in Riga, but it ended up being one of those stops where we managed to fit in a little bit of everything — beautiful architecture, history, cars, go-karts, D&D, bagels, and, of course, some very important snack discoveries.
Riga, the capital of Latvia, is the largest city in the Baltics. The city was officially founded in 1201 and became an important trading center. Over the centuries, Riga was influenced by German, Swedish, Polish, and Russian rule, and you can see that complicated history reflected in the architecture and Old Town. We spent a good amount of time simply wandering around Old Town. Riga’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with narrow cobblestone streets, medieval buildings, churches, and squares all packed into a relatively small area.
Our Airbnb was absolutely fabulous. It was beautiful, spacious, and right in the middle of town, so we could walk almost everywhere. There were comfortable beds, plenty of room to spread out, and big, comfortable couches — which is especially appreciated when four people are living out of suitcases and spending a lot of time together!
One landmark we kept coming back to was St. Peter’s Church. The church dates back to 1209 and has been rebuilt and repaired many times over the centuries because of fires, wars, and other damage. Its tower is a defining feature of Riga’s skyline. When visiting the church, you can’t miss the Bremen Town Musicians statue. The sculpture shows four animals stacked on top of each other — a donkey, dog, cat, and rooster — from the Brothers Grimm story The Bremen Town Musicians. Riga received the sculpture from its sister city of Bremen, Germany, and was unveiled in 1991. There is a tradition that you have to rub the animals for luck. The animals’ noses have become shiny from all the visitors who have rubbed them over the years.
We skipped war museums in Riga and checked out the Riga Motor Museum. Even if you aren’t a huge car person, it is a really fun museum because it isn’t just a collection of cars sitting in rows. There are historic vehicles, unusual automobiles, and exhibits that tell the story of transportation and car culture in Latvia and the wider region. Looking at all those cars made the boys want to go go-karting. I have to say, I do not have the need for speed when I am the one driving. I got lapped several times.
One of the funniest parts of traveling internationally with kids is discovering what they suddenly consider priceless. While wandering around Riga, Lucas and Henry found Cheez-Its in a novelty store. Cheez-Its are not a rare delicacy in the United States. But after months of traveling, they achieved the status of a highly coveted treasure for Lucas and Henry. They were ridiculously expensive. We bought a box anyway. Sometimes you have to let the kids have the familiar thing they’ve been missing, even when your brain is screaming, “I’m paying how much for that?!”
We also found some really good bagels in Riga, which was a very welcome discovery. After spending so much time traveling, finding a food that feels a little bit like home can be surprisingly exciting. A good bagel might not make most people’s Riga itinerary, but when you’re worldschooling and constantly moving from country to country, these little comforts become memorable parts of the trip.
